PDFNL pressing ahead

While Department of Health and Human Services regulations state full-contact training and competition cannot return in Victoria until July 13 and July 20 respectively, PDFNL league operations manager Shane Railton confirmed he had applied for special dispensation from the Victorian Government for clubs to begin those activities on July 1 and July 18.

That would allow the league to play the entirety of its first round in NSW — where full-contact competition will be allowed on July 1 — on July 11, before moving on with the season in both states.

The league applied for the special dispensation on Monday last week. A response had not been received at the time of going to print yesterday.

Railton said the league had verbal confirmation from Sports and Recreation Victoria that unlimited groups of 10 people could attend a ground, theoretically solving the issues of a lack of crowds harming clubs financially.

The league is awaiting written confirmation.

Railton acknowledged the league’s responsibility to ensure cases from metropolitan Victoria were not brought to the region, and said clubs would have a huge part to play in that.

‘‘The state government has been pretty clear people from those hot spots shouldn’t be travelling,’’ Railton said.

‘‘I’d imagine our clubs have an obligation to know where their players are coming from and make sure ones from those areas aren’t travelling.’’

Summing up the overall mood of the league’s 13 clubs, Railton said it was fluctuating, and that any club wanting to sit out the season would be able to do so.

‘‘To be honest, it changes every day, as does the entire situation,’’ he said.

‘‘Speaking with clubs (on Wednesday), many were in a negative mindset after the Victorian dates were changed and with no certainty around crowds. That put everyone in a negative mindset, but if we’ve ticked those two things off you’d imagine that would change.’’

~ Alex Mitchell